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Relating and Correlating
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Correlations is picking up some momentum.
I was very impressed by everyone at the table, especially by Mike Lampert (over on the education page). I hope we get to talk about science education some more. I was thrilled to be able to spend some time with Clifford and with Sheril, though despite the best of intentions the three of us never managed to make it a threesome. (Through Sheril I even managed to meet up with Chris Mooney, who despite being barely half my age is something of a role model.)
We have great plans for the site over the break in the broadcast season, so keep us bookmarked! Oh and if you can't remember how to find us from some computer where you don't have us bookmarked, http://correlationsblog.com will now do the trick!
We also met some of the media professionals involved in making the show tick, which was great, and very different from my day-to-day life (so far anyway). A very talented and enthusiastic bunch.
I was sorry to miss meeting fellow Canuck Ziya Tong, but we did have some time with on-air talent as Chris Hardwick showed up. Chris is even more appealing in person than he is on the screen and I really enjoyed his personality, his wit and his upbeat attitude. However, as a scientist, I am not one to be swayed by celebrity, so I grumbled about the famous Cool Whip segment to him. (Even Clifford disagreed with me on this one; we mostly agreed on stuff, sometimes to an uncanny extent. However, Clifford agrees with Chris that this was a favorite moment.)
Well, we're also agreed that we want to have more interactions among us, making Correlations more of a place and not just a few intersecting blogs, so I am going to gently take Chris and WIRED Science TV to task for this. Basically my concern is that it substitutes big words and chemical affinities for understanding. Don't get me wrong, I don't actually eat foodstuffs like Cool Whip myself, but my problem is that an approach like Chris's feeds into a phobia about scientific-sounding words. What we should be doing is bringing science closer to folks, not further away.
What do you think? Frankly, it reminds me of the DHMO controversy.
Tags: cool whip, DHMO, journalism, science
6 Comments
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January 9, 2008 4:54 PM
cvj
Hi Michael,
Hey, I think that you've forgotten that you, Sheril, Chris M and I did hang out for a while over lunch on Saturday. Sorry I had to peel off later and head off so soon.
So ordinarily I'd agree with you on this aspect of the show, but the reason I disagree with you this time is that Chris does it with just the right level of humour and tongue-in-cheek that I think it dispels the big-word phobia and in fact adds to the joke. I can't really explain why very well... it just works for me, although it shouldn't which is why I think I like it even more.
The science? It is just that business that is so important - encouraging people to begin to see and to look for the connections between lots of things via the stuff they are made of. I spent many a happy while as a kid looking at the labels of ingredients of things in the kitchen and around the bathroom and so forth and reading the chemical names and seeing things coming up again and again. It did not scare me that some chemicals in a dangerous cleaning substance may also show up in a tasty beverage.... instead it got me more curious.
But I agree it has to be done carefully, and Chris gets the right tone on the Cool Whip one especially, and also on the Hack! one where he makes glow sticks. See my thoughts here: http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/26/hack/
In fact, I'd go as far as saying that I like these kinds of segments of the show more often than everything else. I'm a big fan of stripping away the fancy production values and cool toys and just going for a good presenter showing on camera (with the help of lots of edits, I know) what you can learn about everyday objects. Feeds into other discussions we've had on Asymptotia about access to science fairs for underrepresented kids, for example. (see here: http://asymptotia.com/2007/12/06/swept/ )
Ok... Chris? What's your take?
Cheers!
-cvj
January 9, 2008 7:44 PM
Michael Tobis
Well, in my worldview I guess Chris is the celebrity and his star power outshone the rest of us. Or maybe it was just not strictly a Correlations circle. Or maybe it was just the yummy deli sandwich... Texas has lots of great food but deli just isn't a feature. Anyway, my head was spinning and we didn't get to do as much conspiring as I'd hoped.
Looking forward to Sheril's blizzard story.
January 9, 2008 8:32 PM
Sheril Kirshenbaum
And boy do I have one! But I'll save that for once I've settled back into Durham.
It was great meeting you all in person and Chris and I had fun at the deli brunch and beyond the next day.
More on the Correlations Compound meetup coming soon...
January 11, 2008 12:39 AM
Chris Hardwick
First off "Star Power" is a GENEROUS term...unless you're referring to the final stages of a Black Dwarf Star. Is that the kind of power you meant?
The bloggers' meeting was fantastic. I'm sorry I couldn't stay for the whole day, but it was such a treat to see the fleshy parts behind the posts. Michael, I'm really glad you voiced your concerns about the show because I feel like it helped us begin to relate to one another. I'll do my best to explain how I see the "What's Inside" segments, even though you may come away feeling exactly as you did before...
I feel that, much like the Wired Magazine piece that birthed the segment, all of the chemical business is exaggerated for ironic effect. It's SO over the top, that hopefully it comes across that, while truthful, it's not meant to be serious. That's the intention, anyway. However, not everything comes off the way you intend, so if it fails for you on that level I completely understand. Try think of the segment as a light, brain-sorbet in between some of the heavier stuff. That might help.
Just to touch on the meeting one last time...It truly reinforced to me that you're all legitimately smart, interesting folks and I'm honored to share this digital space with you.
PS-I just covered CES for G4...Is tech something I could blog about here? It is rooted in science...
January 11, 2008 6:54 AM
Michael Tobis
Chris, I'd love to hear your take on the CES...
If Damon can blog science fiction I guess you can blog tech, right?
January 11, 2008 1:51 PM
damon
Let me stoke the fire of the smoke Chris so elegantly blew. The Correlations bloggers are smart and bold. Two of my favorite qualities. Great fun meeting and getting to know everyone. As for your CES question, Chris. . . I say, "blog on, bloggerman." Consumer tech is certainly one of the main entryways into science for the general population. It's definitely Wired. Chris, you'll make it totally WIRED Science! And by the way, you'll always be a white dwarf in my book. . .
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